


Diplomacy and Decisions

by HannaM



Category: Long Live the Queen (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaM/pseuds/HannaM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Queen Elodie always finds a way to help her friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diplomacy and Decisions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lea_hazel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/gifts).



"Have you heard about Briony and that Shanjian princess?"  
  
"I have." Queen Elodie smiled, pleased to have chosen to meet with Sabine yesterday. "If it makes them happy, I don't see any harm in it."  
  
Gwenelle sighed. "You _would_ see it that way, I suppose. Sometimes you're no fun, Elodie. Lottie was _shocked_ , which was rich considering the contingent from Shanjia stayed a significant period in Merva. I can't believe she needed me to tell her what was going on under her own nose."  
  
"Well, Lottie's been rather busy with a courtship of her own." Elodie's smile turned into a full on grin when Gwenelle gasped and grabbed her arm.  
  
_"No_ , really?! That sneak! Tell me who it is!"  
  
"Adair," Elodie tried not to let her own melancholy show, though she suspected Gwenelle noticed all the same.  
  
"Oh, I see." Gwenelle squeezed Elodie's hand. "Then I suppose that's another possible consort gone."  
  
"I didn't even know Adair that well," Elodie admitted. "I only thought of him because he seemed nice enough. And he does care for Lottie."  
  
"Well," Gwenelle said wryly, "if they get married, then that certainly seems to secure Elath's future. And Merva will have its heirs, one way or the other. No such luck for me. I wish I had the luxury of following my heart but it's been a horror show dealing with Mead, Lillah and Kigal these last few weeks. I swear, I would happily go to bed with Briony if it meant Mead would leave Sudbury alone."  
  
"Have you made the suggestion?" Elodie teased. "I'm sure your dear step-aunt would give you a few pointers."  
  
"That is disgusting," Gwenelle said, with such feeling that Elodie burst out laughing and Gwenelle joined her. "Ugh! At least Briony didn't take up with _her_. Believe me, I'm glad you gave Hellas to my stepfather. I'd do just about anything to spite Brin, and judging by the way she's been trying to slither into my enemies' good graces, the feeling is mutual."  
  
Elodie frowned. There had been one or two rumors about Brin and Adele of Lillah, it was true. But that was the extent of the reports she'd read on Brin's most recent activities. "Anything I should be concerned about?"  
  
"Nothing concrete. But I'm certain she's got her eye on someone else's title, quite possibly my own." Gwenelle shuddered. "My mother thinks I should marry the Earl of Io to solidify my position. I think I'd rather be trapped in a room with nothing but Anciet's awful poetry to read, but I may not have a choice. Help?"  
  
"Put it off for as long as you can," Elodie said immediately. "You're only twenty, and you have a younger brother to succeed you if the worst happens, they can't reasonably expect you to get married just now. And the Duchess of Lillah hasn't been in the best health, so if you're lucky, that might delay things."  
  
"If I'm lucky," Gwenelle said gloomily. "And if I'm not lucky?"  
  
"Well, if the worst happens, I might be able to tell you a few things about the Earl of Io that at least explain his bad temper."  
  
Gwenelle smiled, and leaned on Elodie's shoulder. "I'm so glad we stayed friends. I wish I could offer you a last resort as well, but all I have is my tragically untalented little brother."  
  
Elodie laughed. "What, you think I should marry Anciet if no one else comes along?"  
  
"I can at least promise he won't kill you in your sleep! Which is better than half your prospects, honestly. He writes dreadful poetry, but he does bathe regularly!"  
  
"You are a terrible matchmaker," Elodie pronounced, and they both collapsed with giggles.

Truthfully, although the thought of marriage was often present in the back of her mind, Elodie had other, more pressing concerns. There were reports of unrest at the border between Ixion and Terrax, and Ixion had requested military aid in the event of an invasion. Providing it would drain the royal treasury, but... having met the Prince of Terrax once, Elodie thought she would be very glad for the additional assurance he wouldn't be in control of a neighboring country any time soon.

Meanwhile, relations with Shanjia had been peaceful since she had risked her life for a song, but time would only tell if that would truly be a lasting alliance.

Unfortunately for Gwenelle, the Duchess of Lillah's health took a turn for the better, and Elodie saw a bad omen in the night sky.

 _Don't accept any strange gifts,_ Elodie wrote immediately, then thought better of it. Anyone could intercept her mail. If it were Briony she needed to warn, she could have written in code, but Elodie was fairly certain Gwenelle had never learned any. Economics and etiquette Gwenelle knew backwards and forwards, but ciphers... if only there were a way to be certain _someone_ could prepare Gwenelle for an attempt on her life.

Elodie paused. It was a long shot but... she did know that Anciet was being privately tutored by some of the same teachers that she herself had learned from not so long ago. Although generally Gwenelle had far better things to gossip about than the state of her younger brother's education, she had mentioned two subjects he was doing exceptionally well in: falconry and foreign intelligence.

Or was it foreign affairs?

The important thing was, if it was foreign _intelligence_ that Ancient was studying so avidly, he would have had to learn something about ciphering or else not been permitted to continue. And if he had the same teacher Elodie had, he would have been set the same random substitution cipher Elodie had practiced with, and thus be able to decipher a letter written in that code.

Otherwise he'd see pure gibberish.

After a moment, Elodie had made her decision.

_Dear Anciet,_

_I hope very much that you can read this letter. I'm sorry for writing you so suddenly when we've barely met. You see, I'm worried that your sister, the Duchess of Sudbury, is in danger, and since I've survived more than my share of assassination attempts, I wanted to give her some advice in secret, but a sudden royal visit would likely only increase the danger and I don't dare send her a letter any well paid spy could read._

_So, now you know my reasons. Please urge her to pay close attention to the origins of any surprise gifts, and consider carefully the motivations of their senders. Suggest that she either postpone any journeys outside Sudbury or travel with many, many bodyguards and someone who knows medicine._

_When it is possible, I hope to see the both of you soon._

Elodie hesitated again. How did she sign a letter like this, even in code? When she wrote to her schoolfriends, she always signed _Elodie_ , since it seemed snobbish to write them as _Queen_ Elodie, even if it was her reality. On the other hand, when she was addressing fellow nobles who she didn't know very well, her usual habit was to sign _Your sovereign, Queen Elodie I_ , especially if she was making a point.

But this was Gwenelle's younger brother. He was barely fourteen, and as far as Elodie could remember, unusually shy. She didn't want to _intimidate_ him.

Finally, she settled on _With best wishes, Queen Elodie._

For two weeks Elodie heard nothing from Sudbury.

Still, she decided that no news was most likely good news, since she certainly would have heard of Gwenelle's untimely death.

Then, abruptly, she received a letter from Briony in Shanjia.

_Dear Elodie, please help_

_I've made a huge mistake coming here and all I want to do is come home, only I'm too embarrassed. This was supposed to be a grand adventure and instead it's just been humiliating and awful! There aren't any ships going to Nova so I have to board one going to Tombula instead. I have no idea what I'm going to do after that. Could you send somebody to meet me there or... or I don't know, arrange something? I don't think they like nobles very much in Tombula.  
_

_Your dear friend,_

_Briony_

And there it was, right there, the solution Elodie had been looking for. Arrange for Briony to materialize in Sudbury and much of the threat would dry up overnight out of concern for potentially hurting the Duchess of Lillah's granddaughter.

Of course, Briony landing in Tombula was a bit of a headache. They were currently known as a People's Republic and had never responded to any diplomatic overtures from Nova, though Elodie suspected that was more because they were overwhelmed with internal strife than out of any particular hostility to their neighbors. Still, Elodie made a note to ask Sabine whether Briony would be safer travelling incognito, and if she could arrange a guide to take her through the mountains to Kigal and Sudbury.

"Your majesty? Anciet of Sudbury is here to see you."

"Thank you, Alice," Elodie said absently. Then she realized what Alice had said and looked up from her correspondence, startled.

"Sorry!" The boy who must have been Anciet blurted out. "I... I probably should have sent word that I was coming, but... I thought it might be dangerous, and besides... I mean, good morning, your majesty?"

Elodie couldn't help herself, she had to laugh. She felt a bit guilty as Anciet's ears reddened the shade of his hair, and quickly added, "You haven't done anything wrong, please, don't apologize! How is your sister?"

 "She's fine!" Anciet said immediately. "That's what I meant to tell you. I figured out your letter and she was really grateful for the advice. It's just that the bird you sent had an injured wing, so that had to be set and by the time she was able to fly again I'd learned that it's really safer if you don't use the same cipher twice, so I was worried about writing back to you using the same one you used, and then I was just worried about replying so late and... sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for," Elodie said, and meant it. "Actually, you've arrived at the perfect time. Gwenelle wouldn't mind playing hostess for a short while, would she?"

Anciet blinked. "No, I don't think so. At least, if it was someone she liked."

"Briony of Mead, for example?"

"Oh!" Anciet's violet eyes widened. "Oh, I see. Thank you, your majesty!"

If he really _did_ see, Elodie was impressed. "Since you've come all this way, you might as well stay at least for the night before returning to Sudbury. And you can call me Elodie if you like."

Somewhat to her confusion, Anciet's ears reddened again. "I... I would... I don't want to be a burden on you or anything!"

"You won't be." Elodie glanced at Alice. "Are there rooms suitable for the Duchess of Sudbury's brother?"

Alice bobbed a curtsy. "There are, your majesty."

"Then stay." Elodie most likely wouldn't have the time to see Anciet again before he left, but she knew her castle was safe at least, and it always made her feel good to think there were friendly allies nearby. "Who knows? You might find some new material for your poetry."

Anciet's face reddened again, but he smiled.

Once he had left, Elodie pulled out a sheet of paper to write Briony back.


End file.
